Good Morning Britain host Adil Ray grilled Dominic Raab on the UK's "racist" refugee policy in a heated debate today.
The government's controversial flight to Rwanda carrying desperate asylum seekers was cancelled at the eleventh hour earlier this week after Boris Johnson's government faced multiple legal challenges.
The High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court had all ruled the plane - costing between £200,000 and £500,000 - could take off last night.
Adil quizzed the Deputy PM: "Can I ask you about this Rwanda policy. Why is it when it comes to Ukrainian refugees there is an online visa system you can apply to where you're asking UK people to budge up and spare a room and we'll pay you to house them but for the Afghanistan and Syrian refugees we're sending them to Rwanda.
"Why is it different for two sets of people?"
"I don't think that's a fair characterisation," Mr Raab replied. "We are a big-hearted country in relation to the British National Overseas citizens from Hong Kong - you'll remember we've opened up a visa system for them.
"You mentioned Afghanistan - between the period of April to August last year there were 17,000 evacuated but also before that. Immigration from Ukraine is 124,000 visas we've now granted. So we do want to be a safe haven."
Interjecting, Adil said: "You've said it yourself - there's a huge disparity. 124,000 online visas granted to Ukrainians. The Ukrainian war started in February, the Afghanistan war has been going on for 20 years that we as Britain played our part, we conducted that war.
"Yet we are saying only up to 20,000 can come here, thousands are still in Afghanistan. The BBC reported today that 100 of them have already suffered torture.
"They worked in the UK embassy and suffered torture. It seems very different for Ukrainians to Afghans and Syrians and some will say the policy is racist."
"You're wrong on so many counts, I won't try to rebut each point," Mr Raab replied. "But let me give you the over-riding response - we have shown a big-hearted approach, whether it was in relation to Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
"All the circumstances are different, not least the proximity. Most refugees want to stay as close to their home as possible because they want to go back. But the issue with Rwanda is totally different."
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV
